Stay Close, Don't Go
by BudhaBeads
Summary: Bella has spent her life moving from one place to another. Will her life in Port Angeles be temporary as well? Or will a certain Edward Cullen steer things in a different direction? Rated M for later chapters. Lemon. All human.
1. Smack That!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight and all that jazz.**

Hey Guys! Ok, this is the first chapter to my new story! It's the first Fanfic I've ever written so I hope I didn't do such a horrible job at it. Tell me what you think! I'm open to suggestions and even bashing, if necessary.

The characters are pretty OOC. But not too much, I suppose. Besides, who doesn't love all the different sides of Edward? I know I do. Haha. Updates won't happen all that fast because you know--with school starting and everything. Gotta make good impressions on teachers! Haha! The first chapters are kinda short because it's the beginning of the story and it's only intros. So hopefully the next few chapters will be longer.

Songs:

Dangerous by Akon ft. Kardinal Offishall

Smack That by Eminem ft. Akon

Enjoy!

* * *

**EPOV**

_**Girl I can't notice but to, **_

_**notice you, noticing me,**_

_**from across the room I can see it and can't stop myself from looking and **_

_**noticing you, noticing me.  
**_

I closed my eyes and started to focus on the different thoughts that were floating in my head. Increasing the volume of my iPod as one of my favourite songs started to play. My hands drummed the beats of the song against the arm rests feeling completely engulfed in nothing else but the music.

Hip-hop songs from artists like Akon, Eminem, T-pain and Flo Rida are probably not the music parents would recommend their children to listen to; with their provocative and disrespecting lyrics. If they did have their way though, we'd still be listening to Barney and The Teletubbies until we were all well into our thirties. Sure Hip-hop can be labelled as loud, pointless and just plain stupid by some. But to me, it is one of the few genres that I can get my mind lost in.

_**That girl is a bad girl, I've seen her type before**_

_**She's so DANGEROUS,****That girl is so DANGEROUS,**_

_**That girl is a bad girl, yeah**_

It has bass beats that your heart would automatically thump along with and a rhythm that would make memorizing lyrics so much easier. Belting out profanities but at the same time, not mean them. It amazes me how words can always mean so much and can also mean so little. It all really depends on the emotion you put behind them. You don't have to think twice about what words are slipping out of your lips next due to such familiarity. Or you could hardly care about the obnoxious words altogether and just search your mind for something else to think about and have the blaring music serve as a shield against the world.

_**Ohhh yeah thats her the big dog tryin to get her little kitty to purr.**_

_**Ex-man lookin at me like i'm Lucifer, Cause he knows I will deal with his case yes SIR!**_

Don't get me wrong, it's not _all _I listen to. I enjoy a lot of other genres as well; Rock, Acoustic rock, Rap, Classical, Country—you name it. I listen to songs that usually reflect my mood during a certain moment like most people do.

_**Watch out I've seen her type before**_

_**That girl is so DANGEROUS,**_

_**That girl is so DANGEROUS,**_

…

I listen to the song until it almost comes to an end, its last verses repeating over and over. I slowly push myself off my black Lay-Z boy recliner I've been burying myself in for the past hour or so. My family sometimes get the impression that I'm clinically depressed just because I drown myself in music for hours, not moving or talking. I shook my head as I recalled one of the "talks" I had to endure.

_Flashback_

_With a pillow over my head, I groaned realizing Alice outside my room talking to Esme.  
_

"_Mom, I'm telling you; something's wrong with him!" Alice hissed, trying to be subtle. I rolled my eyes. I have headphones on—I'm not deaf. Esme muttered something and I prepared myself for another "heart to heart" as my mother would call it.  
_

"_Edward? Can I come in?" she knocked quietly though already halfway through the door. I took a deep breath. It's best if I could take the annoyance out of my voice as to not add more suspicion to my apparent "condition".  
_

"_Sure, Mom." I sat up on my bed, the pillow falling on my lap in the process. I paused my music to hear her more clearly.  
_

"_Son, you know I love you very much, right? You can tell me absolutely anything. I can't bear to see you so upset over something that I'm sure can be solved." she stated in a motherly tone that took the annoyance out completely. She just cares about me and wants to help. But the last time we had a "heart to heart" I told her that there was nothing wrong with me and I just wanted some time alone—which is true. She took it as a sign of denial and pressured me into telling her what's _really _going on. I had to think of another approach to this fix this situation.  
_

"_I know, Mom." I took another deep breath to appear as though I had difficulty saying what was on my mind. My eyes met hers. She looked at me intently with all her attention focused towards me. When I saw the seriousness in her eyes I suddenly remembered that I didn't think of a reason yet. What was I to say? I'm mentally unstable and that I should be sent to a mental institution?! No…it had to be something not too tragic that would require me having to see some kind of psychiatrist yet bad enough for them to know it's best to leave me alone.  
_

_I blurted out the first idea that came to my head.  
_

"_It's about a girl…" I said silently. _WHAT?! A girl?! Jeez, Edward, you could be a little bit more creative than that! _"I've liked this girl for quite sometime now but…I found out she doesn't feel the same way." I looked down trying to hide the obvious lie in my eyes. Thank goodness my mother saw that as a sign of depression. She ran to my side and gave me a hug.  
_

"_Oh, Edward. It's alright, I'm sure it had nothing to do with you. She'd be a fool not to see how wonderful you are" her eyes gleaming as she praised me. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. _Wonderful? Yeah right. _I just nodded my head sheepishly.  
_

_And with that, she left my room. I plopped back down to my bed and released a stressed out breath. I was about to resume listening to the song I had been occupied with earlier when I heard Emmett asking Esme if I was alright.  
_

"_Yeah, he just seems a little upset over a girl who didn't return his affection." I could practically see her pouting when she spoke. After saying that, she walked off quietly. Then I heard Alice ask Emmett what Esme found out.  
_

"_Edward didn't get laid by some girl." I rolled my eyes at my brother's crude language and lack of skill in relaying the correct information. I hastily grabbed the pillow that had been tossed off to the side and shoved my face into it._

_End Flashback_

And since then, I learned to get up from time to time to walk around the house and socialize with the others. I'm not depressed—really. I just want to be alone sometimes to think about whatever there is to think about. And it's not that I dislike being with my family, I love them with every fibre of my being. But sometimes I feel like the world is crowding around me and trying to suffocate me with all the evil it can muster up. So what better way to regain control over everything than by being away from the problem itself?

I sigh as another song came into play. I immediately recognized it as Smack That by Eminem and Akon. I laughed—another Akon song. I decided to walk around the house with my headphones still attached to my head and my iPod safely placed in my pocket. As I stepped out of my bedroom, I was immediately hit with the smell of fresh baked brownies—my favourite. Making my way down the stairs, I made a mad dash for the kitchen.

_**I feel you creeping, I can see it from my shadow**_

_**Wanna jump up in my Lamborghini Gallardo**_

_**Maybe go to my place and just kick it like TaeBo  
**_

_**And possibly bend you over look back and watch me  
**_

Taking a quick glance at my watch, I realized it was only 4pm. Esme said she wouldn't be home till dinner time. Couldn't be Carlisle, he doesn't get back till late at night because of the workload he has at the hospital. Alice? No, she doesn't like cooking. Emmett? Hah—I almost laughed out loud at the thought of my older brother trying to cook. The last time he tried, he failed miserably and managed to cover our entire kitchen with purple goo. Only God knows what that boy was trying to make.

_**I feel it down and cracked now (ooh)  
**_

_**I see it dull and backed now  
**_

_**I'm gonna call her, than I pull the mack down  
**_

_**Money no problem, pocket full of that now!**_

As the aroma of fresh brownies pulled me face to face with the mahogany door of our kitchen, I tentatively pushed it open. I lowered the volume of my iPod so I could hear whether someone was inside or not. The song lulled down into a quiet but still evident, background music.

"Hello?" I asked as I inched more into the room. "Alice? Are you in here?" I asked hoping she would pop out somewhere; happy and jumpy as always. Our kitchen was fairly large so you had to move around the room to actually be able to see the entire thing. I reached the island we had that was decorated with marble and granite. When my palm met the cool tile, I heard a loud crash of pots and pans from somewhere close. I leaned over the island to inspect its other side.

_**And possibly bend you over look back and watch me.  
**_

I stopped mid-way and my eyes went as wide as saucers. Right in front of me was a sight that will forever be embedded in my mind.

_**SMACK THAT…!**_

* * *

So...what'd you think? Good, bad, neutral? Tell me the truth, I can take it!

Next chapter will be written in Bella's POV since you know, we always gotta make intros for the two.

Review please! Nothing makes me happier--actually, that's a lie. Food makes me happier. You could send me food, but I don't think that's possible. So reviews will do!


	2. Seventeen Ain't So Sweet

Hey guys! Thanks for waiting! Sorry I haven't updated faster, my brother and I just got Rockband and let's just say it's a wee bit addicting.

I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations. And as you might have already noticed, I love putting songs into my stories. I don't why, for me it just gives it more life? I guess? Haha.

Info you should know: Alice, Edward and Bella are all Juniors. (17 years old) Emmett, Rosalie and Jasper are all seniors. (18 years old)

Songs:

The Way I Are - Timbaland

4 Minutes - Madonna ft Justin Timberlake

Seventeen Aint So Sweet - The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

Now read and Enjoy!

* * *

**BPOV**

For countless times, I've moved from one place to another. Ever since the day I could walk, my life anywhere has been nothing short of temporary. I would be known as the "new kid" that no one would bother to talk to and then one day, disappear—and yet nobody would still notice. I would be forgotten with no memories to take with me or even leave behind. I've been living my life in the shadows and I've accepted it. It would be selfish of me to ask my parents to quit their job for a large company just because it requires us to relocate again and again. Plus, I could already imagine how that conversation's going to turn out.

"_Our jobs are what pays the bills! We could end up wearing rags and live in boxes!" _my dad would yell.

"_Were we not good parents? Did we do something wrong?" _my mother, the overly dramatic one, would sob quietly on the couch.

I rolled my eyes at the thought of my parents' exaggerations. I would merely suggest that they find some other job that wasn't such a hassle to our lives and they turn it into a soap opera! Jeez.

We weren't poor or anything, nor were we extremely wealthy. We're well-off, you could say.

I've made my life sound like it was taken out of an episode of Dr. Phil. It's really not all bad; I get to see parts of the world that some people would only dream about, witness different cultures and taste different kinds of food. My life might even be considered a blessing to others.

But as much as I try to convince myself such, my thoughts always stray back to other wishful thinking's; friends, a proper school year that didn't consist of packing in the middle of the semester and possibly—a relationship? No. I've let go of that last hope. There was just no way. I could have friends, though, it'll make leaving a little difficult but have friends nevertheless. But relationships just seem a bit over-reaching. Leaving someone I'd love would be next to impossible, in my opinion.

"Bella Swan?" I was brought back to reality as my name was called out during attendance by Ms. Reid. I've been zoning out since class started.

I raised my hand. "Here."

I wasn't zoning out because I hated the class. In fact, English is one of my favourite subjects. I just didn't see much point in paying attention to a class I was sure I'd never see much of anyway.

After attendance was finished, the class resumed as Ms. Reid discussed the different works of Shakespeare. Ahh—Shakespeare. Hamlet, Othello, Romeo and Juliet, nothing could make my heart flutter more than his incredible words that seem to have no limitations; clear and concise as he gives a descriptive opinion on a matter. The amount of passion he puts in the words actually make you feel as if you were the character. His tales of love and hate have you realize that there really just is a fine line between both.

I sighed. Maybe English class would be worth listening to after all.

* * *

As soon as class ended, I found myself wandering down the hallways in search for the cafeteria. I tried my best slip past people as to not bump into them. But some of them were just far too large that I'd slam right into them—seriously, could they really not see me? Am I _that _unnoticeable? I grumbled the rest of the way until I stumbled upon two large, heavy doors that were open widely with the sign "CAFETERIA" hanging above them. I quickly slipped inside and took a glance around the room.

My immediate observation was that people were segregated into groups. Great, just what I need—another "typical" high school full of cliques. You could clearly distinguish who were the "Jocks"—laughing loudly in their matching jerseys and throwing around what appeared to be a soccer ball and the "Geeks"—the ones who busied themselves with calculators and buried their noses in math textbooks. Their eyes so focused that they wouldn't even flinch when one of the jocks threw balled tissue papers at them.

I shook my head at their rudeness and walked towards the lunch line. Once I stood at the very end of the line, it was then that I realized that the cafeteria had speakers hanging from each corner of the ceiling. _Are you serious? Wow, fancy school. _I recognized the song that was playing. "The Way I Are" by Timbaland.

_**I ain't got no money**_

I groaned—not another hip-hop song. I just don't understand why people manage to like or even listen to these songs. The singers sing in such monotony, you feel like it's draining away your brain cells.

_**I can't even buy you flowers**_

_**But together we'll be the perfect soulmates**_

_**Talk to me girl**_

All they talk about is sex, money, the "ghetto" life and more sex. No wonder men these days treat women like they're prizes and objects to be won over by their overly pimped cars and grills. _Ugh! This is stupid! I'm getting upset over a song for Christ's sake. Take deep breaths…they're not worth your time, they're just mindless pigs who have no other passion then "shaking their ass like that"._

_**Oh, baby, it's alright now, you ain't gotta flaunt for me  
**_

_**If we go there, you can still touch my love, it's free  
**_

_**We can work without the perks just you and me  
**_

_**Thug it out 'til we get it right**_

Due to the little tantrum in my head, I realized that the line had been moving and I just stood here looking like an idiot. I quickly caught up to the end of the line and took a tray from the stack at the side. I was looking at the food selections when a little tap on my shoulder stopped me.

_**Baby if you strip, you can get a tip  
**_

_**'Cause I like you just the way you are  
**_

_**(I'm about to strip and I want it quick  
**_

_**Can you handle me the way I'm are?)  
**_

_**I don't need the cheese or the car keys  
**_

_**Boy I like you just the way you are  
**_

_**Let me see ya strip, you can get a tip  
**_

_**'Cause I like, I like, I like**_

"Hi!" a small girl with spiky black hair greeted me in such a happy voice that it could make the clinically depressed happy. Just by a quick glance at her face, you could tell she was gorgeous, probably one of the "Popular kids". She dressed like it too; everything brand named from her red baby doll shirt to her black peep-toes flats. I'm not a big fan of fashion so half of what I said might have been incorrect.

_**I ain't got no Visa**_

"Hello" I couldn't help but return the smile.

_**I ain't got no Red American Express  
**_

_**We can't go nowhere exotic  
**_

_**It don't matter 'cause I'm the one that love you best  
**_

_**Talk to me girl**_

"I'm Alice Cullen, are you new here?" she kept bouncing up and down, I had to giggle.

_**Oh, baby, it's alright now, you ain't gotta flaunt for me  
**_

_**If we go there, you can still touch my love, it's free  
**_

_**We can work without the perks just you and me  
**_

_**Thug it out 'til we get it right**_

"Yes, I'm Bella, Bella Swan." I replied

"Hi Bella!" she chirped; giving me a hug. I liked her already. The line kept moving until in was our turn to order. I got a simple ham and cheese sandwich and orange juice. Alice got the same but with an apple on the side.

"So, Bella, do you have anyone to sit with right now?" she looked me curiously. I hadn't actually thought about that.

_**Baby if you strip, you can get a tip  
**_

_**'Cause I like you just the way you are  
**_

_**(I'm about to strip and I want it quick  
**_

_**Can you handle me the way I'm are?)  
**_

_**I don't need the cheese or the car keys  
**_

_**Boy I like you just the way you are  
**_

_**Let me see ya strip, you can get a tip  
**_

_**'Cause I like, I like, I like**_

Who was I to sit with? Jocks? No. Geeks? No. Emos? Oh—hell no. I don't want to spend the remainder of my lunch our mourning over my cold sandwich.

"Uhm, no, actually, I don't." I gave her a shy smile.

"Great! Come sit with us!" I didn't even have time to give a response because she was already dragging me towards the other side of the cafeteria.

_**Baby girl, I don't got a huge ol' house I rent a room in a house  
**_

_**Listen baby girl, I ain't got a motorboat but I can float ya boat**_

From where we were, I could see a table where 3 people sat; one was handsome, had curly brown hair, and wore a child like grin but built with a body of a pro-wrestler. The other one was a tall, long haired blonde who I believe, was the most beautiful girl on the face of the planet. And lastly, another blonde who wore such a calmed expression it made you feel like you were sitting down on a Lay-z-boy leather recliner—and he too, was unbelievably attractive.

_**So listen baby girl, once you get a dose of D.O.E. you gon' want some mo'  
**_

_**So listen baby girl, when I make it I want you back, want you back, yeah**_

Of course, the "beautiful" people, where else would Alice belong? Oh, maybe the cheerleading team, I suppose. That girl has the energy of a 3 two year olds.

We reached the table and I immediately felt intimidated by their presence. I stared down at my tray like it was the most fascinating thing I have ever seen in my entire life.

"Hey guys! This is Bella Swan, she's new here at PA High." I could hear her beaming proudly.

"Bella, that big heap of muscle right there is Emmett, my older brother." I looked up to see him coming over to me. I started to panic because I only realized how _big _he really was. When he was within arms length, he reached out and pulled me into a bone crushing hug. I swear, I think I heard my tray snap—or maybe that was my spine?

"Emmett! Let go of her! She can hardly breathe!" I heard Alice screech. He let go of me and said a meek sorry.

"It's alright, Emmett, nice to meet you too by the way." I laughed. And they all joined in.

"Hi Bella, I'm Rosalie Hale, the big lug's girlfriend." She rolled her eyes at the last part but gave me a warm smile.

Alice started bouncing again, towards the male blonde. "And this," putting her hands on his shoulders "is Jasper Hale. Rosalie's twin brother, and my very loving boyfriend." she gave him a kiss on the cheek and he smiled up at her. I smiled at their sweetness.

"Hello." He smiled at me and again—the Lay-z-boy.

_**I'm outta time and all I got is 4 minutes(x8)  
**_

_**Come on  
**_

_**Yeah  
**_

_**Break down  
**_

_**Come on**_

Crap, another hip hop song. Did these people not know _real _music?? I flinched and they all noticed.

_**Come on boy  
**_

_**I've been waiting for somebody**_

_**To pick up my stroll**_

"What's the matter, Bella?" Rosalie asked.

_**Well don't waste time  
**_

_**Give me a sign  
**_

_**Tell me how you wanna roll**_

"Uhm…I'm not the biggest fan of hip hop music." I laughed nervously.

Emmett's booming laughing practically made the whole school shake. "Well then, I doubt she's gonna get along very well with our little Eddie." They rest of them giggled. I was certainly missing out on this little inside joke.

_**I want somebody to speed it up for me  
**_

_**Then take it down slow  
**_

_**There's enough room for both**_

"Eddie? Who's Eddie?" I asked curiously.

"Edward, actually. Hey wait, where is he, anyway?" Alice asked the group.

_**Well, I can handle that  
**_

_**You just gotta show me where it's at  
**_

_**Are you ready to go  
**_

_**(Are you ready to go)**_

Jasper let out a breath and said "He said he wanted to go home." They all suddenly looked sullen. "He left the second you guys came."

_**If you want it  
**_

_**You already got it  
**_

_**If you thought it  
**_

_**It better be what you want  
**_

_**If you feel it  
**_

_**It must be real just  
**_

_**say the word  
**_

_**and ima give you what you want**_

They all turned towards the cafeteria doors all the way on the other side of the room. I followed their gaze. I couldn't really see much since so many people were blocking the way. But for a split second, I saw a head of bronze hair before it vanished through the doors.

_**Time is waiting  
**_

_**We only got 4 minutes to save the world  
**_

_**No hesitating  
**_

_**Grab a boy  
**_

_**Grab a girl  
**_

_**Time is waiting  
**_

_**We only got 4 minutes to save the world**_

* * *

The rest of the day went by in a blur. I thought back to lunch and how much fun I had. Emmett was trying to start a food fight with Jasper. Rosalie kept glaring at them but you could see the love they held for her boyfriend and her brother. Alice was being her usual excited self talking about everything. She could make anything sound interesting. Jasper watched her with eyes full of adoration.

Sure, I didn't know all of them very well yet but even then, I felt like I've been friends with them since forever—wait, friends? I made a slight back track. Yes, friends. They were my friends. They included me in all their conversations and shenanigans. I didn't feel like the awkward, out of place new kid around them.

I smiled at the thought and ran out of my last class of the day. Alice had invited me over to their house. I refused at first, telling her I would impose. But after giving me a puppy dog pout—how could I refuse? I was merely human.

When I stepped out of PA High's doors, I saw all of them standing by a large white Jeep. The large built of it reminded me so much of Emmett. I would bet anyone a thousand dollars it was his.

"Bella! Over here!" I heard Alice waving me over. After greeting everyone, we quickly pulled ourselves into the Jeep.

"So, Emmett, I'm assuming this Jeep is yours?" I asked with a grin.

"You betcha!" he proclaimed proudly. I mentally patted myself on the back and mentally paid myself a thousand dollars. _Yay! I'm a thousand dollars richer! Wow—having friends is making me go crazy. _

The drive was unbelievably entertaining. Jasper put the radio on and they took turns in singing along with a song. They tried to make me sing a few times but I refused each time. Next to Rosalie and Alice's perfect soprano voices and Emmett and Jasper's beautiful baritones, I'd sound like a noob and probably break a few of the car windows. I'd rather spare them the pain and spare myself a beating from Emmett.

Emmett made random turns here and there into the roads and bushes. I was convinced we were lost. But all doubt was swept away when a giant white mansion—_more like castle_—came into view. I was openly gawking at it. It looked extravagant yet homey, modern yet classic.

We got out of the jeep and I felt myself set foot on grass. I was too busy admiring the house; I didn't even notice where the house was set on. It was on an open spaced field, green grass and flowers everywhere.

"C'mon, Bella!" Rosalie dragged me by the wrist into the Cullen mansion. When we got onto to the porch which was decorated with pots of flowers and a swing bench at the side, Alice suddenly remembered something.

"Hey guys, our parents aren't gonna be back till later tonight and it's 3:15pm right now. What are we suppose to eat for dinner?" she asked.

"OH! Let's get Pizza!" Jasper yelled.

"And KFC!" Emmett added.

"And burgers and hotdogs!" Jasper screeched; his eyes started to glaze over, as did Emmett's.

"Oh dear, we're going to have to go and keep an eye on them just in case they start buying store after store." Rosalie groaned. I would have giggled if I hadn't seen the worry and panic in both Alice and Rosalie's eyes. _Wow, is that really a possibility? _

Suddenly, Alice eyes sparkled and didn't look all that worried anymore.

"I know! Rosalie and I will go with Jasper and Emmett and Bella, can stay here in the house!" she jumped up and down as if she'd just won the lottery.

I just stared at her. _Wouldn't it be easier if I just went with them? I could help with the boys. Oh—maybe she didn't want me there? Why would she trust me alone in their big huge house? So…she has faith in me but doesn't want me? This is confusing._

"Uhm…ok" I said. I couldn't really ask to just tag along with them. That'd be rude, especially if they actually didn't want me with them.

"Great! So, you guys hurry along in the Jeep and I'll give Bella a quick tour around the house." She told everyone while ushering me inside the house.

She quickly showed me around the house—actually, it was more like, just the downstairs part; the kitchen, the living room, the dining room, etc. I didn't really notice anything since she spoke way too fast plus I was still confused about this whole situation.

After showing me everything, she left me to fend for myself in the kitchen. I was alone and I didn't know what to do. I walked around the room, admiring the granite island counter top and the wooden cupboards.

I opened one cupboard and found flour, sugar, salt and cocoa. _Hmmm…I wonder if they'd mind if I made some dessert for them; a kind of thank you for having me over thing. _I fished out my iPod from my pocket and put on a good song. And by good I mean; no hip hop.

I started to gather ingredients—I was going to make brownies. Songs from Nickelback, The Calling, Rascal Flatts, Faber Drive played as I danced around the kitchen baking and singing.

_**Well she never was the best  
**_

_**Yeah at following the trends  
**_

_**Stayed one step above the rest**_

After about 30 minutes, I finished the first batch and was now in oven. I decided to make a second batch—for Emmett really. I practically turned the kitchen upside down looking for a rubber scraper, still holding the bowl containing the mixed ingredients in my hands.

_**And even though it seemed  
**_

_**Like the world was crashing on her  
**_

_**Didn't let it hold her down, didn't hold her back  
**_

_**Oh no  
**_

_**Woah**_

I crouched down to a cupboard that was right by the island counter. I opened it and frustratingly fumbled around with pots and pans until I finally felt the rubber scraper in my hand.

_**Don't worry you'll show them**_

I guess I got a little too excited when I found the object that I desired because the next thing I knew, I pulled my hand out with as much force as I could muster up and all the pots and pans came crashing down on me.

_**There's a fire in your eyes  
**_

_**And I hope you let it burn (hope you let it burn)  
**_

_**There's a scream in your voice  
**_

_**And I hope you will be heard (hope you will be heard)  
**_

_**There's a fire in your eyes  
**_

_**And I hope you let it burn until you're heard  
**_

_**You're heard**_

The bowl slipped from my fingers and spilled onto the floor. I tried to get up but slid before I even got to stand a foot.

_**Seventeen is just a test  
**_

_**Yeah and I would recommend  
**_

_**That you live with no regrets**_

I fell on my stomach painfully, clothes stained with brownie mix, my hair sticky from the raw eggs, and my shirt bundled up so high around my rib cage that I felt flour seeping into my shorts.

_**And even if it seems  
**_

_**Like the world is crashing on you  
**_

_**You shouldn't let it hold you down  
**_

_**Shouldn't hold you back  
**_

_**Oh no  
**_

_**Woah**_

I groaned from the pain piercing through my body but silently thanked the Lord that I got to push my iPod to the side before I fell. Only one earphone was attached my ear. It wasn't drenched and still fully working. I knew it was still working because I could hear the song still belting as if nothing even happened.

_**Don't worry you'll show them**_

I rolled onto my back and all I could see was green.

_**Theres a fire in your eyes!!**_

* * *

So? Was it alright? Do you want me to continue? If you don't, just say the word and I'll stop. I dont want to bring such horror to the world. Haha

Review please! Nothing would make me happier (at this moment)!!

--All the love from BudhaBeads!


	3. Swing Swing

Hey guys! I'm so sorry that I haven't updated this story. With homework piling up, I couldn't even take a moment to relax. And well, I was just being lazy. But you forgive me, right?

So anyway, this is Chapter 3 of my story and I hope it keeps you interested and patient enough to wait for the rest!

I've decided to write a random one shot. I've almost finished it. I'll post it up sometime soon. So please! Take some time to read it.

Songs: Swing swing - The All-American Rejects

Maneater - Nelly Furtado

I love songs. Ps. I didn't really proof read this chapter. I'm sorry.

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. Though it'd be awesome if I could for a day!

Enjoy!!

* * *

**EPOV**

I couldn't move and I couldn't breathe. My eyes trailed all over her glorious body. She wore a little pair of dark denim shorts that contrasted beautifully against her fair white complexion and made her legs look impossibly long. I noticed that there was flour, chocolate and other ingredients smeared all over her thighs. I wanted to lick every single trace of batter off her smooth skin. I moved my focus up her body and focused on her torso. Her shirt rode up; exposing the small of her back. Her curvy waist emphasized the gentle pull of her hips—making her perfect backside look absolutely delicious.

_Yeah, this is most definitely not Emmett._

I noticed a wave of brown locks fanning around her back and the urge of running my fingers through it almost overcame me. I would bet anything that it would feel like silk.

My brain kept trying to push me to help her up—like a gentleman should do! But no! My body wouldn't budge at all. It felt like my feet were cemented onto the floor and I was frozen solid. I didn't know what to do. I could continue to stare at her like the giant pervert that I am or help her from her current predicament. But if she would see me, it might make the situation all the more awkward for the both of us. _Because, yes, total stranger, I wasn't staring at your body at all. _

Maybe I could just run away before she'd notice me. That way, I could save both of us the embarrassment and still have this memory planted in my mind but not seem like a total pervert. Yes, that sounded good—run away.

I was about to make a 180 degree turn and head for the door but she herself, made a 180 degree roll over before I could even shift positions. Our eyes locked together and again, I was frozen in place. _Shit, shit, shit shit. _

Although I should have been panicking and mentally punishing myself, I was too entranced by her deep brown eyes to care about anything else. They were so full of emotion that if I looked long enough into them, I was almost certain I could see into her soul. She seemed troubled in a way but would never allow herself to show it on the outside. She would keep all of her emotions within her and that's what made her eyes so deep.

I also noticed how they were big and wide—probably from shock. _Oh crap. _Right. I was just staring at her.

I quickly made my way to her side, finally finding something to force my body out of its stoic state. I bent down to grab a hold of her arm and pull her to her feet. When my fingers made contact with her soft skin, I didn't want to let go.

She fixed her shirt; pulling it down, trying to cover herself back up. But not before I got a glimpse of firm, flat stomach. _Dear Lord. _

"Are you alright?" I asked hoping my voice didn't sound an octave higher than it usually is. _Wait, she wouldn't be able to tell. She's never met you before. Idiot. _

"Oh…yes. I'm sorry, I slipped." She smiled shyly. Her voice was soft, gentle but held a kind of strength within it. I gave her a smile of my own to reassure her confidence.

I was still holding on to her arm, lingering there just a little bit longer. And when she finally noticed this, I quickly pulled my hand back and ran my fingers through my hair. A nervous habit I have and this girl was making me plenty nervous.

"Uhm, I'm sorry if I'm being rude by asking but…who are you?" It took me a moment before to realize that she was standing, in my house, baking and singing and I didn't even know who she was. _Yes you totally neglect that important fact just because her covered in batter made your mind run down the gutter._

"Oh, my name's Bella Swan, I'm a friend of Alice's." she smiled brightly seemingly forgetting her current sticky situation.

"And where is Alice right now?" Surely Alice had to be here somewhere.

"She went with Emmett, Rosalie and Jasper to buy dinner for everyone. She and Rosalie needed to restrain the guys from buying too much food." She giggled.

"I see you've been well acquainted with my family and friends." I said smirking. Jasper and Emmett always gave the girls a reason to worry. Always.

"Family? Oh! You must be Eddie!" she grinned widely but I cringed.

"Don't call him that though, he hates it as much as he hates Pepto-Bismol commercials!" we both turned our attention away from each other and to the kitchen door. There stood my older brother, clutching a bucket of KFC chicken in one arm and 3 grocery bags in another.

"It's Edward, actually" I turned my attention back at Bella. Did she just get even more beautiful after a second?

"Oh my goodness gracious! What the hell happened in here?!" Alice stared at the kitchen with wide eyes as she took in the new sight. Her mouth hung open in disbelief and frustration. Her gaze stopped at both Bella and I and she smiled like when a cat ate the canary. "Oh. Nevermind."

Bella blushed a bright pink color and ducked her head down. I wondered why she did, when I realized that we were standing in a kitchen that was turned upside down—pots and pans everywhere and batter on the floor with an equally messy Bella and my clothes were stained when I helped her up. Was she implying we caused this mess in a more…_creative_ kind of way? The thought of Bella and I close together while throwing ourselves at every space possible made my heart go into overdrive. I didn't know why, but I liked that idea—a lot.

"What did you guys end up getting for dinner?" I tried my best to stir the direction away from the awkward topic. I wouldn't want Bella to feel all the more embarrassed if I voiced out that I took in some interest in Alice's idea.

Bella looked up and gave me a look of gratitude. I nodded slightly to let her know she was welcome.

"KFC and Pizza Hut, baby!" Emmett's voice echoed through the kitchen and I swear, the Chinese people on the other side of the world heard his declamation.

Jasper and Rosalie made their way into the kitchen and they too, wore similar expressions Alice had when she walked through the doors.

"Did a hurricane hit this place or something?" Rosalie laughed, apparently finding everything to be quite humorous.

"I was making brownies and…I couldn't find the rubber scraper. And when I finally did…well, I slipped." She said the last part softly as she gestured to her clothes, making my gaze follow as she did so, raking all over her glorious body.

_She is going to be the death of me._

* * *

**BPOV**

Looking down at my brown-stained outfit, I could help but blush at the memory of Edward seeing me like this. His gorgeous green eyes bore into my brown ones and I stopped any sort of brain activity that was going on in my head—they were breathtaking, to say the least. I couldn't look away and neither could he. We just stared at each other for god knows how long. I'm still not exactly sure what was going on in his head but it probably wasn't nearly in the same wavelength as mine were.

The way his messy bronze hair was strewn in random directions made every fibre in my body tingle. Messy as it was it looked like a masterpiece of perfection. He was pale and his skin looked like marble—making all his beautiful features stand out all the more. I couldn't see past his jaw line since he was on the other side of counter—but god, what a jaw. _What a JAW? Are you kidding me?! What happened to coherent thoughts?_

I was brought back to the present when I heard Emmett and Jasper laughing their heads off. Apparently, I missed out on something funny while I had the little recap in my head. The girls shot daggers at their boyfriends silently sending them some sort of message. The boys immediately stopped their laughter.

I looked at Edward, surprised he was blushing as well. Wait—what was I missing out on? And what could make Edward blush like that? I remembered the way his skin felt on mine as he held onto my arm, making sure I didn't slip again. His fingers were long and gentle. They seemed like the hands musicians would have. His touch sent a shock through me that in that moment, I didn't want anything else but the feel of his arms wrapped all around me.

"What's so funny?" I finally asked, curiosity getting the best of me.

"Little Eddie here just did a double take on you and I swear there was drool dripping on the side of his mouth." Jasper said trying to hold in a giggle and keep a straight but was soon a failed attempt when Emmett, Rosalie and Alice burst out into hysterics.

I blushed—again. I sneaked a peak at Edward and noticed that he had his hands on his face groaning in what I assumed was humiliation and torment?

"I was not!" Edward retaliated.

Instead of just standing and taking the impact of obvious embarrassment, I walked over to where my iPod lay and picked it up. I never got to stop the previous song that played and now Bon Jovi's "Have a Nice Day" blared out of the earphones. _Oh yeah, I'm having a GREEAATT day. _I rolled my eyes and turned off my iPod.

I finally heard silence and thanked the Lord that they had ceased laughing at our expense. I turned back smiling, trying to shift the mood back to normal. The first thing I noticed was that Edward was gone. _Oh sure, that's the FIRST thing you notice._

Everyone else was unloading the food from their respective bags and spread them out on the kitchen table. Alice got plates and utensils and set them on too on the table.

"Come on, Bells! Dinner time!" Emmett bellowed, eying the bucket of KFC chicken. I bet that whole bucket was only for him. I laughed and strode over to where they all were.

We all sat down and started piling our plates with various foods. A question I had been wanting to ask since before dinner itched to spill out of my mouth. But I couldn't since the teasing might resurface once again. I have never handled curiosity well, if I were a cat, I would surely be dead--a long, long time ago.

"Where's Edward?" they all looked up at me with grins on their faces. Rosalie was smiling so wide that a piece of pizza threatened to drop from her mouth. Even with this, she still looked incredibly stunning. _God, who looks good with pizza hanging from their mouth? It's just not fair._

"Right here." A voice that didn't belong to any of my grinning friends spoke. My head quickly snapped to the direction of the kitchen door.

He was leaning against the door jam with his arms crossed and a perfect crooked smile planted firmly on his lips. The way his arms crossed over his chest emphasized his strong, muscular arms. Even under the white shirt and jeans, you could tell that every single part of him was lean and strong. The light coming from the living room shined from behind him giving his body an outlined glow. He looked like a Greek God—I wouldn't be surprised if "Hallelujah" started playing in the background when white feathery wings would suddenly sprout from his shoulder blades completing the angelic façade.

He pushed himself off the side of the door and made his way towards the table. Rosalie, who was sitting beside me, quickly scooted closer to her other side. I shot her a glare while she smiled innocently.

Either Edward was blind or he dismissed it but he walked right passed the opening Rosalie, thoughtfully, made for him and sat on the opposite side of the table, across from me—right beside Jasper.

My face fell a little. I surely didn't expect that. Wait, what exactly had I expected? That he would take Rosalie's offer and sit right next to me? _This is reality Bella. Of course he wouldn't sit next to a girl he hardly knows. Duh._

Everyone else seemed just as surprised. But Edward's face remained expressionless. He just sat down, started piling his plate with food and ate nonchalantly. The table fell silent for a good few minutes, no one daring to break the awkward silence that enveloped us all. After a few more bites and clinking of utensils, Emmett screamed.

"ARGH! It's too QUIET!" he frantically looked around the table. "Somebody say SOMETHNG! My ears are practically bleeding from the silence. Rose! Yell at me! Alice! Talk about shopping! Pleeease?" honestly, any of us would have said something at some point but we were all too shocked by his random outburst.

Convinced that it was a failed attempt, Emmett stood up loudly, his chair scraping the floor, and stormed out of the kitchen.

"Uhm…where's he going?" Alice asked quietly. I shrugged my shoulders, still confused by him.

Alice's question was answered when Emmett made his way through the doors again but this time, clutching a pair of speakers and his iPod. He ignored all our confused looks and placed the items he retreived on the kitchen counter. He plugged whatever was necessary and started to increase the volume of the speakers.

"If you won't make any noise, I'll just have to make my own then!" he had VICTORY plastered all over his face.

The sound of an organ started to play, followed by an electric guitar and finally, drums.

I grinned, recognizing the song immediately. I was immensely pleased that it wasn't another horrid hip-hop song. I shuddered at the memory.

_**Days swiftly come and go**_

_**I'm dreaming of her**_

_**She's seeing other guys**_

_**Emotions, they stir**_

_**The sun is gone **_

_**The nights are long **_

_**And I am left while the tears fall**_

Emmett started to play an imaginary guitar while banging his head down repeatedly. With his display of fun, we couldn't help but join in as well. We all knew the words perfectly and continued to sing along to the song.

_**Did you think that I would cry **_

_**On the phone?**_

_**Do you know what it feels like**_

_**Being alone?**_

_**I'll find someone new**_

We didn't even bother with our dinner and just all stood up and started to jump around like Emmett. Each of us doing our own little dance. I didn't notice much of my surrounding because I was too caught up in my own little world to do so.

_**(Swing) Swing, swing**_

_**From the tangles of**_

_**My heart is crushed by a former love**_

_**Can you help me find a way to carry on again?**_

Jasper stood up on one of the chairs, grabbed a ketchup bottle and started belting out the next verse into the pretend microphone.

_**(Wish) cast into the sky**_

_**I'm moving on**_

_**Sweet beginnings do arise**_

_**She knows I was wrong  
**_

_**The notes are old  
**_

_**They bend, they fold  
**_

_**And so do I to a new love**_

Alice joined him up on "stage" and they danced together as the rest of us kept bouncing around the kitchen in utter euphoria.

_**Did you think that I would cry  
**_

_**On the phone?  
**_

_**Do you know what it feels like  
**_

_**Being alone?  
**_

_**I'll find someone new**_

When the chorus was about to repeat, Alice and Jasper jumped down from where they were in time with the beat. At the same time, Edward climbed up table and gestured for me to join him. In the spur of the moment, I didn't even hesitate.

_**(Swing) Swing, swing**_

_**From the tangles of  
**_

_**My heart is crushed by a former love  
**_

_**Can you help me find a way to carry on again?**_

I faced him singing

_**Bury me**_

He continued the line right after looking right into my eyes

_**You thought your problems were gone**_

I stared back and sang with everything I had

_**Carry me**_

We moved closer to one another, singing together in perfect tune.

_**Away, away, away**_

He grabbed my hand and spun me around the table over and over again, dancing in tune with the song. His motions were fluid and precise. I didn't have to worry for a second about falling off the edge of the table. Everywhere I was, he was always right beside me.

_**(Swing) Swing, swing  
**_

_**From the tangles of (swing, swing, swing)  
**_

_**My heart (my heart) is crushed by a former love  
**_

_**Can you help me find a way to carry on again?**_

When the song finally came to an end, we all burst into laughter at our little "musical" number. I realized I was still standing very closely to Edward, his hand wrapped loosely around back. I blushed again, my self consciousness reaping its ugly head.

Sensing my discomfort, he jumped down from the table and lifted me from the waist, off the table. Once my feet were planted securely on the ground, he took his hands away from where they were. I suddenly felt cold and missed the feel of his warm hands against me.

"One more! One more!" Alice chirped as she bounced around Emmett.

"Ok ok! Jeez! Hold your horses, little sis!" he fumbled around with his iPod, looking for another song for us to fool around to.

But then I remembered.

"Oh wait! I almost forgot something!" I ran over to the oven, completely forgetting that my brownies were done a long time ago and just sat there throughout this entire thing. I slipped my hands through oven mitts and carefully pulled out the tray.

As soon as I set the tray on the counter, everyone had gathered around it.

"These look awesome, Bella!" Jasper commented trying to grab a piece but his hand was slapped away by Rosalie.

"Hey hey! Ladies first!" she picked up a piece and gently popped it into her mouth. All eyes were on her as we waited in anticipation for her reaction. I was nervous to know what they thought of my cooking, granted, I wasn't the best cook in the world. Oh dear, what if I killed one of them from food poisoning? I continued to imagine worse case scenarios from someone's guts pouring out to being laid on a stretcher for the ambulance outside.

She chewed thoughtfully and swallowed. Pausing for dramatic effect.

She smiled. "…absolutely delicious, Bella" I breathed a sigh of relief. _No dead bodies tonight. Thank goodness._

And with that, everyone grabbed a piece and shoved them into their mouths. Jeez, you'd think this was their first time tasting chocolate. I just rolled my eyes.

After everyone finished eating, the desire to dance around resumed. Emmett quickly returned to his original post until he stopped and threw me a look from the corner of his eye. The mischievous glint in them made me swallow hard. I didn't have a good feeling about this.

"Bella's gonna love this." He pressed play and a deep bass started the song.

_**Everybody look at me, me  
**_

_**I walk in the door you start screaming  
**_

_**Come on everybody whatcha here for?  
**_

_**Move your body around like a nympho**_

I groaned. _Oh god…! _The song continued to play with everybody dancing to Nelly Furtado's "Maneater" _God, even the title sounded preposterous! _

_**Everybody get your necks to crack around  
**_

_**All you crazy people come on jump around  
**_

_**I want to see you all on your knees, knees  
**_

_**You either want to be with me, or be me!**_

I slumped into a chair, trying desperately to drown out the music with my annoyed thoughts.

"What's wrong?" I looked up and saw Edward looking at me with concern evident in his amazing eyes. The second I did, the music dimmed into a dull pulse.

"I'm….not the biggest fan of hip-hop." I expected a weird look from him, thinking I was crazy or something. But the response I got was just a sly smirk on his lips.

"Really? It's not that bad." He said coolly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Yes. It's completely ridiculous! No one on the face of the earth could ever make me appreciate something that mundane." I looked away like a stubborn child would.

He chuckled lowly—it sounded dangerous and undeniably sexy. _Uh oh._

"Wanna bet?"

* * *

Sooo..? How was it? I'm open to any suggestions. I'm a reasonable person who doesn't have a terrible temper.

The rest of the night will continue on the next chapter.

Read and Review!! I absolutely love getting reviews!

Love you all like mush--Budhabeads


	4. Midnight Mess Part I

Woo! I was so pumped to write this next chapter! It might not be all that interesting. If so, I'm terribly sorry.

As you can see, this is a two part chapter. This is Part I, written in Bella's point of view. Part II will be written in our beloved Edward's point of view.

No songs in this chapter! I'm so damn proud of myself! I always count on song lyrics to make chapters long, but not this one! Hooray for me!

Hope you like it!

Disclaimer: Don't own Twilight, though I'm trying to figure out a way for me to. Any suggestions? Haha--kidding!

Enjoy!!

* * *

**BPOV**

_Wanna bet? Wanna bet?? What does that even mean?! _Well, what ever it does, it didn't sound very safe, in my opinion.

"I think I'll pass." I waved my hand to emphasize my point.

"And why is that?" He took a step closer towards me. He was challenging me and I wasn't one to crumble under his gaze. _Ok, maybe I do feel weak in my knees whenever he looks at me. But not this time, I'm standing my ground._

"Because it's going to be a futile attempt to get me to want to act like…like that!" I gestured over to our friends who were now moving around to another hip-hop song; shaking their bodies along with their partners'. To me, it looked like some odd mating ritual dance.

I didn't even bother trying to recognize what song it was. It would just be a waste of my time and a waste of my brain cells.

"If you're so sure about it being an, as you say, "futile attempt", what's the risk then?" His face was now only a few inches away from mine and his body almost pressed up against me. It would be so easy to just reach out and touch him, feel every contour of his face, memorizing each indent and form. "Prove me wrong." He breathed out each word slowly.

The scent of his breath made my head spin and I would have surely passed out if it wasn't for the fact that no one in this room would ever let me live it down. So I did what I thought was best at the moment; stare at him, straight in the eyes, with what I hoped was a look of determination.

Determination for what?—I had no idea.

But it's either, determined to stand my ground on my belief that converting me to a "hip-hop believer" was useless or determined not to roughly grab his face and kiss him until breathing was an essential need. With the way he was making my body react to just simply his eyes, it's probably the latter.

"Bella!" both our gazes flickered as we remembered that we were still in presence of the others. Instinctively, I took a step away from him, turning my attention to the person who called my name.

"Yeah, Alice?" I was so caught up with Edward that I didn't even notice everyone else had stopped dancing and that the speakers weren't even on anymore. _Was I really that entranced by him? That I couldn't even HEAR when the music stopped playing? Dear God, Bella, snap out of it!_

Alice skipped her way over to me with a sly smile on her face. Something tells me she hadn't missed the little interaction between Edward and me.

"It's getting pretty late. You better call your parents and tell them you're sleeping over tonight!" it wasn't an invite; it was an "aggressive request". I've heard my fair share of them throughout my life; especially from my parents.

The way Alice skipped out of the kitchen told me that this was one request I couldn't deter from. I sighed and dropped my head down in defeat. I turned back to Edward to see that he had an amused expression on his face. I wanted to scowl at him. _Did he find some kind of amusement in my misery? Stupid, gorgeous, sadistic, man._

I practically stomped into the living room in search of a phone so I could contact my parents. I finally found one sitting on a wooden table next to the couch. I picked it up and brought it to my ear. I pressed the buttons slowly; still not used to my new home phone number.

After about 3 rings, I heard my dad on the other line. "Hello?"

"Dad?"

"Bella! Where in God's name are you?!" he raised his voice and I had to inch the phone away from me; my ear drums threatened to fall out.

"Dad! Calm down! I'm at Alice's house!" I spoke slowly; trying to relax, what I'm sure was his erratic heart beat.

"Alice?! Who's Alice?!" _Oh. Right._ I had only met Alice today and I didn't even think about calling my parents after school to let them know I was heading over here.

"Uhm…can I talk to Mom instead?" my mom would understand and handle this situation a whole lot better. She was always so persistent in pushing me to make friends. If I tell her what happened today, she would comply without resistance.

"I am not giving the phone to your mother until you tell me what's going on young la—" he was cut off by someone yelling loudly at him; Mom. Thank heavens, I wasn't in the mood for the "young lady" lecture today.

"Bella? Honey?" my mom said sweetly.

"Hey mom! Uhm…listen, today, I met a friend; her name's Alice and she invited me to come over her house right after school. I'm sorry that I didn't call you guys before I left. I had dinner at their place and now she just invited me to spend the night. Is that alright?" all the information just came tumbling out of my mouth. I would be surprised if she caught every word.

"Oh honey, that's great! Of course you can spend the night there! Just make sure you get enough sleep, finish all your homework and get to class on time tomorrow!" I almost laughed at the sound of her giddiness. She sounded way more excited about this than I was.

"_But Renee..!"_ I could hear my dad whining in the background. He could be such a child sometimes.

"Thanks mom! I love you! Tell dad that I love him too! Goodnight!" and with that I hung up.

I needed a minute to breathe. I plopped down on the length of the couch, let my head fall back against one of the pillows and closed my eyes.

I thought back to today's events. From this morning when I was just the normal, lonesome girl who wandered the halls aimlessly and kept everything hidden behind her innocent façade to now; a girl who made friends with the Cullens and Hales, the most beautiful people in world, danced to the All-American rejects on top of a table with the most gorgeous man on the face of the planet.

A dreamy smile made it's way to my face at the thought of how it felt being in his arms. The feeling of his toned muscles brushing against me when he spun me around, the way his silky bronze hair would sometimes fall in front of his eyes when he ducked down and the way his eyes glinted in the light.

I reached for another pillow that rested against the armrest, buried my face in it and screamed on the top of my lungs. _Crap, those eyes! Those lips! Those arms, those—_

I heard a slight chuckle coming from somewhere close to me.

I abruptly stopped my squealing and squirming. It was a woman's voice but it didn't sound like it belong to either my pixie little friend or Rosalie. I slowly, and I mean dramatic-movie-moment slowly, moved the pillow away from my face.

I was greeted by a warm smile from a beautiful woman who had long, wavy caramel hair that cascaded past her right shoulder, it was held together by a thick, white hair clip that little crystals embedded on it. It matched perfectly with her silk white evening gown. She was as beautiful as Rosalie but in a much soft and gentle kind of way and slightly more mature.

I quickly stood up; blushing from my being caught in such an awkward position. I opened my mouth to say something but was cut off by a boisterous voice.

"Mom! You're home!" I heard Emmett's large and heavy footsteps pounding on the floor as he made his way over to us. _Mom? _

"Emmett, dear! How was your day?" she gave Emmett a hug when he stood in front of her.

_That's _their mom?!

I wouldn't be surprised if my mouth hung open and I openly gawked at them.

"Great! And I see you've met the newest member of our crew! Mom, this is Bella Swan. Bella, this is the most awesomest mother in the entire world, Esme!" He grinned and looked like he was 5 years old again. I quickly pushed the fact that Emmett said "awesomest" at the back of my head. Now was not the time to make mental grammatical corrections.

"Oh, Emmett, you're such a mama's-boy!" she swatted his arm playfully before walking over to me and giving me an embrace. Just from this simple gesture, I could tell that she was a very compassionate person.

"Hello, dear. Have my children been treating you well?" she let out a slight giggle throwing Emmett an amused look.

"They—"

"Mom!!" all the way from the top of the staircase, I heard Alice scramble down the steps and bolted towards Esme. _Wow, they seem extremely excited to see their mother. Has she been away in vacation?_

"Alice, honey!" again, hugs were exchanged. I still stood there, slightly confused by everything around me. "Hang on a minute dear, Bella was just about to say something." She looked at me expectantly.

"Oh, yes, I was just going to say that they've all been treating me wonderfully." I smiled at both Alice and Emmett. I was truly thankful of their kindness towards me today.

"Ahh…excellent! I have raised them properly!" we all had to laugh at that. "Is Bella our only guest tonight?"

"Nope! Jasper and Rosalie are in the kitchen debating whether or not a slice of pizza looks like Samuel L Jackson or Jamie Fox. I honestly don't see a difference between the two. Twins." She rolled her eyes at the last statement. I giggled just imagining the current situation inside the kitchen.

"Hey mom!" a deep, smooth voice called out from behind me. I chanced a look back and realized I probably shouldn't have. I couldn't look away. My eyes were glued on his advancing form. He was graceful as walked; never missing a beat in his steps.

Once he stood next to me, I snapped my head back to the rest of the Cullen family hoping they hadn't noticed my little zoned out state.

Apparently they didn't because they all stared at Edward with a shocked expression. Esme wearing the most surprised one. _What was up?_

"Oh…hello, son. How's your evening?" she shook her head ridding herself from her previous state and replaced it with a tentative smile.

"Pretty good." He said. _Did he just glance at me? _"I thought you would be back by dinner time."

"Your father surprised me by taking me out for dinner instead." Her smile grew wider; probably reminiscing. "I hope you kids had something to eat though!" her face quickly turned into concern.

"Yes, we did. Dinner was quite…interesting." _If I just imagined him looking at me again, I'm honestly losing it. _

"Now that everything's settled and we know that mom hasn't been held captive somewhere, we can all go to bed! Come on Bella!" Alice quickly grabbed my hand and started to drag me towards the stairs. I saw Esme depart as well and Emmett made his way over to the kitchen; most likely to stop his girlfriend from tearing her brother's face is half. That left Edward standing alone in the living room; looking at our retreating forms.

Then I remembered.

"Hang on, Alice. I need to do one more thing. Go ahead, I'll catch up." I smiled her reassuringly. Sure enough, she ran upstairs towards her bedroom I suppose.

I turned around and saw that Edward was making his way towards me. I gulped.

"What was one more thing you needed to do?" he smirked. _He's being arrogant! Well, two can play that game._

"I just wanted to say goodnight, that's all." I placed my hands on my hips; reassuming my defensive stance.

He matched my own and stood closer to me. _Ok…not good. Greek god standing way too close…breathe…breathe…in…out…that's it. _

"Oh? Is that all?" he leaned in; his face now mere inches from mine. We've been in this position too much lately. It couldn't be healthy for me.

"Yes. Goodnight then, Edward." With that, spun away from him and started climbing the stairs.

For dramatic effect, I stopped mid-way and spun back.

"Oh. And yes, I accept your bet." I didn't even bother to process his reaction. I sprinted up the steps to find Alice's room.

* * *

_Oh god. Oh god. Oh god. Oh god._ I just made a bet with someone to convince me to enjoy songs that screamed sex and profanities. And that someone was extremely, _extremely _attractive. I didn't know whether to feel lucky or feel like throwing up. With the way my stomach was swirling around with mixed emotions, I'm gonna have to go with the second option.

I sat on Alice's bed, staring at one of her walls, contemplating about everything concerning a certain bronze haired man. I don't know how long I've zoned out but it was long enough that Alice was able to find me something to wear for tonight to serve as pj's.

Not wanting to hear her comment on anything about tonight's events, I threw her a quick smile and thank you and made my way over to her private bathroom. Once I got the door shut and locked, I grabbed onto the counter to support my wait as I released a breath of relief. I looked up to the mirror and what I saw shocked me to no end.

I looked horrible.

Chunks of my hair stuck together with what I assumed was raw egg, chocolate brown stains covered my shirt and denim shorts and my face still had traces of white powder on them. _Holy shit! I've been walking around like this all night! _

During dinner, during the dancing, when I lay down on their couch—shit! I hope I didn't leave any stains, and oh god, when I met Esme? And she hugged me!

I was so close to passing out from the amount of embarrassing thoughts that raced through my head. How could I not remember that I slipped and made a mess of the entire kitchen?!

Oh right—Edward.

He was the reason for everything. For why I couldn't remember my current appearance, why I couldn't form coherent thoughts, why my heart has been beating erratically every second or so and why I couldn't seem to rid my face of the biggest grin I've ever seen it hold.

Damn him. Damn him and his ungodly sexiness.

_Oh crap! The kitchen!_ I completely forgot that I made their kitchen look like a pig farm and didn't even clean it up! What were they going to think of me? Some girl who just takes advantage of whatever people have? Nope. I'm not like that.

I hurriedly change my clothes into the pj's that Alice has so graciously provided for me. But as soon as I saw my reflection in the mirror—ok, maybe not so gracious. To her, pj's weren't the usual flannel shirt and pants, they were short shorts and a tank top.

It would have to do. It's not like anyone else is going to see me tonight anyway.

I stepped outside of the bathroom and told Alice that I was going to clean the kitchen. But before I stepped in front of the door, Alice pulled me by the arm.

"No Bella. You're a guest and guests don't clean kitchens." She pointed her index finger at me in a motherly lecture kind of way.

"But not if the guest caused the destruction of the kitchen in the first place." I countered her attack and smiled triumphantly. But apparently, she wasn't having any of that.

She pulled me back to the bed. "No. Sleep."

"But—"

"No buts, young lady! Now, we have to wake up early tomorrow so get some sleep." Her tone was one of finality; no room for arguments.

I complied and lay down on her bed but there was no way I could fall asleep. I couldn't, knowing batter was still spread all over the floors and pots were tossed everywhere.

I'd just have to wait until Alice fell asleep to sneak downstairs.

The sparkly pink digital clock on Alice's nightstand read 12:30 am. I should have been tired and exhausted as well but I just couldn't keep my eyes closed. Was it from the need to tidy up the kitchen? Was it all from today's excitement? Who knows?

I got out of bed and made quiet steps through the house as to not wake anyone up. This was the first the time I actually got to appreciate the interior of the Cullen mansion. Although it was such a massive house, the way the furniture was arranged; color coordinated and all, and the family pictures that hung around the house.

There was a picture that settled against the wall right by the staircase that stood out the most for me. It was a picture of the entire Cullen family.

Esme was sitting down, back straight, hands folded neatly on her lap, her head slightly tilted to the side and a warm smile on her face. Her hair flowed smoothly down her shoulders. I was still in shock that she could be a mother. Her personality, of course, was in perfect tune with that status but her face and figure looked like she stole it from some 20 year old model. The man sitting next to her was equally unbelievable. His arm was wrapped around Esme's shoulders. He looked like one of those movie stars you'd obsess over. He was blonde and very handsome. He brought out a sophisticated aura, the kind of man you'd love to bring home to mom; intelligent, handsome and utterly respectful. He must be the head of the family; the father.

I now understood how Alice, Emmett and Edward became so beautiful. They were blessed with fantastic genes.

Emmett was behind them to left with his trademark Emmett-smile. His smile said everything about his personality, fun, goofy and caring. But his body was the complete opposite. He might be fun to be around but if you mess with him, there'd be hell to pay.

He lazily had his arm draped over Alice's shoulder, who stood next to him.

Alice physical appearance was a mix between beautiful and adorable. She was petite and hyper; her cute side. But the way she carried herself with such confidence also labelled her as sexy. She had amazing fashion sense and I wouldn't be at all surprised if I went to the mall and found a shop named after her.

To the right side of Alice stood her other brother; Edward. He had his arms crossed over his chest and stood up straight with all his masculine glory. As always, he looked breath-taking; his bronze hair was mussed in an array of sexiness, the ways his arms flexed over his chest emphasized his well defined biceps. It wasn't bulky like Emmett's, it looked more reserved but still definitely strong.

His body wasn't what caught my attention though. It was where he stood in the picture and his face. There was an unmistakable gap between him and the rest of his family, and he looked slightly angered. Or was it sad? I didn't know, but what I could tell was that he wore a mask of indifference; like he somehow not part of the perfect family.

I sighed, convinced that I probably wouldn't understand just by looking at the photograph. I made the rest of the way down the steps without anymore detours. I padded past the living room and into the kitchen. Just as I expected, it was still a mess. I quickly got to work, trying to arrange the pans and inside the cupboard.

Cleaning always made me relax, it was odd I know. But my hands would move automatically that I didn't need to use my brain for the job so random thoughts would stray in and out of my head. And currently, these random thoughts always had something to do with the green eyed wonder boy.

It would be stupid to try to deny the fact that I had a crush on Edward Cullen. But crushes were harmless, weren't they? They would never really lead to anything, so why bother? Plus, it's probably better that these feelings wouldn't evolve into more than just a simple crush. I wouldn't be able to handle leaving behind "more thans".

I was half-way finished cleaning the room. I sighed with relief; I could finally go to sleep. Falling asleep in class isn't a very good way to start the year and impress teachers. I was now more determined to wrap up this little chore.

The faster I worked, the more thoughts of Edward left my mind. I smiled at that; thinking of him too much would lead me to the road of "more thans", and I didn't want to get there...wouldn't I?

I twisted and squeezed out the remnants of water in the sink. When I turned around to wipe the kitchen counter, I found myself frozen.

He was standing there; right past the counter. His hair was a lot messier than usual; he probably just got out of bed. He looked dazed and confused. I probably looked the same.

_I just stopped thinking about him! Can't a girl catch a break?_

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Bahaha! Poor Bella, can't catch a break from the sexy beast.

Though I wouldn't mind being in her position right now. Anyone agree with me?

Review please! It makes me happy! I honestly, check my Stats every 20 minutes or so with my fingers crossed.

Be the one who makes my day!

If I could love you guys anymore, you'd be dead--BudhaBeads!


	5. Midnight Mess Part II

Helllloooo people! I apologize for not updating this story in a while. I just...wasn't inspired.--Oh who am I kidding, I was just lazy as hell. And of course, homework was there to add on to my already crazy schedule.

I hope it was worth the wait though. Again, I didn't proof read...it's 4am and I'm extremely beat. I have school in 4 hours. Argh.

No songs in this chapter!! Don't worry though, next chapter, there will be!

Hope you guys enjoy!! Thank you for all the reviews from previous chapters, they really make me smile. Read and Review!!

Enjoy!!

Oh wait--before I let you read...**Did you guys see the new Twilight Trailer? Oh my goodness...**

Ok, proceed.

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**EPOV**

I was well aware of the fact that I hadn't said anything. My response?—a smile.

She had accepted the bet I had offered. Sure, it seemed ridiculous; offering to convince a total stranger to be interested in hip hop songs? Even I could find the humour in that. But I was trying so desperately to find any reason to be close to her. And if that meant pursuing this ludicrous bet; then so be it.

Realizing that I stood completely still at the bottom of the stairs for about 3 whole minutes, I slowly made my way up the steps. After climbing the 2 flights, I turned to the hallway to walk to my room but stopped when I passed Alice's room.

I wasn't sure why I had stopped, but I held my breath to assure silence. I could hear movement around the room and drawers being opened and closed but other than that; no voices. I leaned in closer to the door hoping to make out some things. The frantic rustling of drawers immediately ceased by a closing of a door coming from the inside—Alice's bathroom door I would suppose.

Then I just heard silence followed by the sound of tiny shuffling of feet; it sounded closer and louder by the second. I was about to bolt until the door opened swiftly. _Aw, crap._

"Edward?" Alice quirked an eyebrow at me.

I didn't know how to respond. I couldn't tell her the truth that I was standing outside her door, listening intently for God knows what. I would lie; I was good at that.

"Could I borrow some toilet paper?" …_What was that you said about being a good liar? Dumbass._

Her confused look suddenly changed into a smirk. "I would lend you some, _dear brother, _but Bella's in the bathroom right now."

"Oh ok, thanks, bye!" I ran to my room not even bothering to look back. Alice saw right through me. Hell, _anyone _could've seen right through me at that point.

When I made it back to my room, I locked the door behind me and dragged my feet towards my bed. I completely surrendered my weight onto the bed; making the boards squeak beneath me.

I let out a breath of relief and rolled onto my back. I placed my hands behind my head and stared at the ceiling of my room. Today was something I had not been expecting.

When I woke up this morning, I expected another boring and meaningless day in school. And it was; in the middle of lunch, I decided to head home. I didn't care about missing classes. Teachers wouldn't bother me either since they knew it was hopeless to try and make me stay.

I wasn't a loner or a depressed and troubled teen; it's just the world constantly gave me something to worry about or annoy me. So my solution to that was to disappear from time to time.

But today was an absolute dream. I haven't had so much fun in a really, really long time. Although I had to admit, most of my attention was focused around the new girl that entered the life of my family.

Bella.

Just thinking about her made my smile turn into a full out grin. I didn't know what it was about her. At first, when I saw her on the floor covered in mess, immediately there was a physical attraction. I could never deny how unbelievably beautiful she was. That was all it was in the beginning; a physical attraction.

But as soon as she opened her mouth to speak, she gave me the impression that there was so much more to her. She was shy—that was obvious, from the way she constantly blushes at any comment directed at her or how low her voice would be when she spoke.

Then during dinner, when Emmett decided to bring out the speakers and blast loud music, she showed me another side of her; the carefree fun-side. When she accepted my hand and jumped on the table with me, it was like she forgot about all her self-consciousness in a matter of minutes and decided to go with the flow of things. We danced, we sang, it was all fun.

And then when I offered her the bet, I thought I pushed her a bit too far, thinking she would be repulsed by the idea. She gave me the impression that I was right when she declined my offer and left the room to call her parents. Yes, I was slightly disappointed but it was my fault for expecting much.

Just when I got her all figured out, as the innocent, relaxed, type, she surprises me yet again by the little scene that took place at the bottom of the stairs. When she had said goodnight to me, I was merely giving her a teasing response. But her expression changed into a challenging one. She accepted and left me standing in bewilderment.

She was interesting, to say the least. And I wanted to get to know her more.

_Whoa…hold up there, Cullen. Since when did you ever want to get to know someone better? _

That was true. Usually I could read people clearly, and as soon as I do, I would find out that I held no interest in them. But the problem right now was that I _couldn't _read Bella clearly—so, as a result, I have to continue to know her better. Right?

I found myself lightly chuckling at the fact that I was having a silent debate with myself in my head. If people knew what was going in my mind, they'd think I was crazy.

Turning my head to my left nightstand, my clock read 1:00am. I had school tomorrow so I probably should try and get some sleep.

I closed my eyes but it was no use, every time I did, _her _face would appear behind my eyelids and I'd find myself feelings as alive as ever.

Minutes passed when I realized it was useless to try and sleep. I stood up from my bed and walked out of my room. Maybe if I got something warm to drink, I could finally rest. I once again passed Alice's room and I stopped in front of it…again! _Oh good God, man. _

I forced my legs to keep walking, silently, for everyone was sleeping. I made my way down the stairs, and into the living room. Just as I was about to push the kitchen doors, I heard the faucet running inside. _Who could be up at this hour?_

I went inside quietly. I wanted to laugh at the fact that this was my second time today wondering who in God's name would be in the kitchen.

And just as patterns are what patterns are; it was the same person from before.

Bella had her back to me while she was busy at the sink. She hadn't noticed my entrance. Should I say hi? Would that cause her to freak out? I mean, it is 1 in the morning and you don't normally expect someone behind you. Ok…maybe I should just leave.

And again…because patterns are what patterns are; she turned around before I had a chance to move.

_I should really work on my subtle escapes._

Our eyes locked and we held each other's gazes for minutes. Her expression probably matched my own; shocked and confused. The weight of the silence was increasing rapidly and I just had to break it.

"Hey."

"Hi." It took her a moment until she finally breathed it out.

I took a deep breath and decided now was not the time to make awkward moments. So I internally composed myself and started walking towards the refrigerator, which so happened to be right beside her.

"What are you doing up?" I asked curiously.

"Oh, I was cleaning the kitchen." She seemed to break out of her trance and responded. She let out a nervous laugh and motioned towards the counter with a damp towel in hand. She started wiping the granite top quickly.

"Why?" I got a bottle of water out of the fridge and stood beside her.

She looked up at me and smiled a breathtakingly gorgeous smile. "Because, Edward, if you don't recall, I was the one who made your kitchen look like a typhoon hit it." She laughed lightly. The sound of her laughter and the sound of my name escaping her lips instantly made my muscles relax.

"Nonsense. You're a guest, Bella." I took the towel from hand; emphasizing my point.

"You sound exactly like Alice." She rolled her eyes. "No, Edward. I want to clean it up. It was my fault. Therefore I'm responsible." she was being stubborn but decided to settle on a compromise.

"Ok, what about if I helped you clean up? Then we'll both feel better about the situation." I attempted to persuade her with a smile.

"Fine." She sighed. She looked slightly defeated but adorable at the same time.

I handed her back the towel, placed the water bottle next to the sink and picked up a towel for myself. I helped her clean the fairly large counter top.

"So…why are you up this late?" she asked me after a moment of silence.

I moved towards her, pretending to wipe an area that I knew was already clean.

"I couldn't sleep." I stated simply. My arm brushed hers slightly and the contact sent electricity up my arm. It tingled up to my neck. I coughed to try to hide the obvious embarrassment in my face.

"How come?" she sounded a bit nervous. I looked up at her to see her looking right back at me.

"I…uhh…" _Because your beautiful face was haunting every second of my existence? _"I don't know." My voice came out as a whisper. I knew she didn't have trouble hearing it seeing as she was standing dangerously close to me.

It was now that my wandering eyes decided to take control. She was wearing very short shorts—shorter than the ones she wore this afternoon. It showed off her smooth, creamy legs that just begged to have my hands roam around them. The tank top she was wearing emphasized all the magnificent curves of her body. The dark color of it contrasted beautifully with her pale skin. I wanted to grab her by the shoulders, burry my face in the crook of her neck and breathe in her delicious scent.

Apparently, I was staring for far too long because she shifted uncomfortably and walked over to the other side of the counter. Her cheeks were tinted slightly with pink and she looked out of breath.

I didn't speak after that, in fears of saying something that would make her feel all the more uncomfortable.I wanted to smack myself for being so rude and not to mention perverted.

The cleaning gave us an excuse to stay silent. Because we were so caught up in working; we were shocked to find the kitchen spotless.

Bella sat down on one of the chairs looking exhausted.

"Tired?" I chuckled.

"You would be too if you were cleaning for about an hour and a half." She glared at me. I suddenly felt bad for laughing at her earlier.

"I'm sorry." I looked down; ashamed. It seems everything I've said tonight was wrong.

"It's alright, Edward. I was just kidding." She smiled warmly at me.

I took the seat next to her. Since we were in good terms with each other and she wasn't actually upset with me, maybe now was the time I could start getting to know Bella more.

"So, are you new in PA High?" simple questions would be a good start.

"Yeah, I'm a junior like Alice." She smiled at the mention of my sister's name. It was obvious that she and Bella became fast friends although they just met each other not too long ago.

"How do you like it there so far?" I asked.

"It's great. Though I'm not a big fan of how segregated the student are." She wrinkled her nose at the statement.

"Yeah, it's pretty much like a movie kind of high school; complete with jocks and…academically driven individuals." I leaned back against the chair and crossed my arms over chest.

"Academically driven individuals?" she raised her eyebrow at me with a taunting smile on her lips. "You mean geeks?"

I unfolded my arms and gave her a mocked surprised look.

"Gasp, Bella! And here I thought you were the sensitive type." She slapped my arm playfully and stuck her tongue out at me. "Oh, my mistake, you're the childish type."

She just rolled her eyes. "So where do you categorize yourself in?"

I placed my arms on the table and leaned slightly closer to her. "Hmmm…I don't know. Maybe where Emmett and the rest are." I thought out loud.

She mumbled something to herself that I didn't quite catch.

"Pardon me?" I looked at her curiously.

"Nothing, nothing." She gave me a nervous laugh. I could swear I heard her say something like "beautiful people". But why would she say that?

"Well, what about you? Where do you categorize yourself in?" I asked her.

She mimicked my position and rested her crossed arms on the table. I leaned in closer, anticipating her answer.

"I don't know, no where I would suppose. I don't think I fit in any of them. I can't imagine my self wearing an all black attire, which dark sunglasses and sipping my coffee filled mug." She giggled and I joined her laughter.

"Don't be too sure. I happen to think you'll look good in black." I winked at her and she blushed. It was quickly becoming one of my favourite things about her. I leaned even closer to her.

"Any more comments on PA High?" I decided to change the subject seeing that she was clearly embarrassed.

"Yes, actually." She seemed to have composed herself and returned to her normal playful self. "I don't like your cafeteria very much."

The cafeteria? That was unexpected.

"Care to explain?" I was extremely curious. She gestured with her index finger for me to come closer. I obliged willingly.

She leaned in closer to my ear and slowly whispered. "The constant hip-hop songs that play drive me mad." I stopped breathing when I felt her warm breath at the shell of my ear. Goose bumps ran down my back and I shuddered in pleasure.

I was sure she said those exact words to remind me about out bet. She sounded so confident and unintentionally seductive. I decided to return the favour.

Once she leaned back far enough to grasp my reaction; I smirked mischievously.

"Really now? I guess tomorrow at lunch is when ill start…_convincing _you how good hip hop music really is." I brought my face within inches of hers.

Her face was unreadable. It looked like it was mix between, shock and fear. I smiled at my victory.

"What do you say, Bella? You think you're up for it?" my voice was barely above a whisper. My gaze darted from her eyes to her lips. They were so close, so inviting. I wanted nothing more than to grab her face and kiss her until breathing was a necessity.

"I…uh…but..." she was stuttering, I couldn't help but smile at the affect I had on her. "There will be a lot of people in cafeteria." She breathed it out so quickly I almost didn't catch it.

"That's not much of a problem is it? I mean, we could always just…_do it…_in front of everyone. I'm sure they wouldn't mind." Her eyes widened at what I said. She caught on to my double meaning. Of course, I didn't really mean it in that way. But I was having too much fun provoking her into believing so.

"What…" she still looked utterly stunned. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. I was tempted to kiss her when she didn't have her gaze fixed on me.

My mind started drifting to other things while she still had her eyes shut. I was about to say something in fear that I had upset her—again.

But when her eyes opened, they looked completely different. They were blazing with such intensity that I was taken aback. To match her newfound fierce look, the corner of lips curled into a devious smile.

"I'm looking forward to…_doing it…_with you tomorrow, Edward." Now I was the one in shock, wasn't I the one provoking her? How did she manage to turn the tables so quickly in her favour?

"Are we gonna be doing a lot of movement for your convincing? If we do, I should wear something comfortable; I'd imagine we'd be sweating a whole lot." She battered her eyelashes innocently at me. My mouth felt dry and I tried my hardest to not let my mind wander to her double meanings. I knew she didn't mean it exactly that way but it's so hard to let your imagine believe so.

I was helpless against her and she knew it.

When she was sure that I wasn't going to be saying anything any time soon, she slowly got up from her seat and smoothed down her tank top. This action caused the already low cut of the top to go even lower; exposing more of her glorious chest.

She was going to be the death of me.

I expected her to walk out of kitchen without another word. I _needed _her to walk out of the kitchen without another word. There's no way I could handle anymore.

I think I must have done something terrible that made God hate me so. He wanted to torture me for whatever sin I committed. He was probably laughing at my misery from the heavens right alongside his sadistic angels.

Because instead of just leaving, Bella, decided to place her hand on my shoulder, bend right by ear and whispered in this time what I was an intentional seductive voice,

"I'll see you tomorrow, Edward." The way she purred my name nearly made me scream out loud.

After _that, _she finally, walked out of the kitchen without another word.

I did the only thing I could think of at the moment.

I banged my forehead against the table. Hard.

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Good? Bad? Should I continue?

Review...I DARE YOU!

All the love in the dump--BudhaBeads.


	6. Give It To Me

Hello, one and all! I know I didn't update last weekend, I tried but I had so much crap, it was close to impossible. Please forgive me! I hope this chapter makes up for it.

Now, this is a sort of filler chapter with a bit more teasing between Edward and Bella. You all might be looking forward to the cafeteria scene, and honestly, I am too! Since I have no idea how it's going to turn out. I'm making up this story as I go along; which is probably a terrible idea since it might end up being a total wreck. I apologize for that. I promise that my future stories will be more planned out and organized!

Again, I didn't proof read this chapter. You know me, I write stuff at 3am (that's when I get inspired, so sue me). And I still have class later. So yes, hopefully I didn't make too many errors. If I did, I'm sorry again. (Wow, got a lot of stuff to apologize for. Haha.)

Songs: Give It To Me - Timabaland & Nelly Furtado.

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or any of the amazing characters.

**Special Note: Twilight is coming in 14 days! I don't know about you guys but I am STOKED! **

ENJOY!!!

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**BPOV**

A bright red haze tinted the back of my eyelids; the burning color caused them to feel uneasy. Until I couldn't anymore handle the blinding distraction; I reluctantly opened my eyes to greet the unwelcomed morning. The sun shined proudly through the window; bringing life to every unmoving object.

I loved the morning yet hated it at the same time. It greatly depended on how I felt before consciousness snuck away from me and I drifted into a deep slumber. Sometimes when I wasn't looking forward to the day, I wish the world would just swallow me up so I wouldn't have to face the agony. But in other times, I would feel like it was a new time to start fresh and pass the day with admirable confidence.

Usually it wouldn't be a problem for me to foresee what kind of day it would be. Everything in my life was just so predictable.

Today, unfortunately for me, was an exception.

I had no idea what today would turn out to be like. Ever since I met the Cullen and Hales, my world turned upside down.

I thought back to my little adventure yesterday; I closed my eyes again and saw snips and clips of different parts of the day. I saw myself standing in line for lunch, then suddenly in the Cullen mansion—_that's what I have decided to call their home. It seemed more fitting; _Dinner, sing and dancing, meeting Esme, changing into Alice's revealing "pyjamas" cleaning the kitchen very early in the morning—the images just seemed to whiz by until it came to a single still image that made me take a sharp intake of breath.

Edward.

The image of him was when we were sitting down on the table in the kitchen early in the morn'. Our faces merely inches apart and silence fell all around us; silent from our teasing escapades and innuendoes.

His hands were folded in front of him on top of the table, his long slender fingers firmly gripping onto his pale arms that were flexed slightly under the pressure showing off the toned muscles beneath the surface.

Working my way up, my gaze fell on his lips, they were parted just a bit; enough for him to breathe through his mouth rather than through his nose. They were luscious and absolutely inviting. So delicious that I had to resist the urge to bite down on his lower lip and see it redden beneath my teeth.

His hair flowed freely in different directions but each in perfect sync; giving it a tamed yet wild look. I wanted to run my hands through it to check for myself if it was as soft as it looked. Locks of bronze fell slightly in front of his right eye. A small glint of green could be seen through spaces in between.

His eyes—_Oh dear God, his eyes. _

His piercing green eyes were intently staring at me. The way they seemed to bear into me made me increasingly self-conscious. I felt exposed and his eyes drank in everything from me greedily. Even though I wanted to shield myself from the intensity; I couldn't. Even though I knew everything in me was his for the taking; I couldn't.

The image had such an impact on my body that I had to force my eyes open to prevent any permanent damage.

I sat up and took in deep breaths to still my erratic heart beat. The mere _image _of his already had my heart pounding into a wild frenzy. How was I able to handle him last night without going into cardiac arrest?

It took me a moment to realize that I wasn't in own room.

The room had a very modern and girly feel to it. It wasn't Barbie-doll girly. _Thank heavens for that. _But more like; I-care-too-much-about-style-and-fashion-to leave-my-room-plain-and-simple. _Yes, those were the perfect words to describe this room. _

The whole space was adorned with purple and white. The small loveseat at the side of room was ivory white with two purple velvet pillows resting on each other like dominos on one side of the seat. The curtains were purple and white. The majority of the room was white with tinges of purple here and there to add more flavour to the room. Even the bed I was currently sitting on had white bed covers but a purple comforter.

The only thing that was out of place was the digital clock that sat on the nightstand. It had sparkly pink rhinestones around it. It read 7:00am. _Hmm, I'd have to ask Alice about that later. _

Alice!

Right, this was her room. I looked my right which was the side she was sleeping on last night but it was empty.

"Alice?" I called out hoping she'd pop up somewhere magically like she always did.

After a minute without a response, I decided to get out of bed and get ready for school. I was about to open the door to her private bathroom when I realized that I didn't have any clothes with me. _Oh crap. _

I guess I have to borrow clothes from Alice. Why did I have a feeling that plan will be ending badly?

I quickly brushed my teeth before heading downstairs in search for Alice.

Before I even reached the bottom of the stairs, I could already hear loud voices coming from the kitchen. Without thinking—I could already tell the loudest came from Emmett. _Who else could it be? _I rolled my eyes.

"Good morning, everyone!" The kitchen fell silent when I walked in.

Instead of the exchange of greetings through reflected words or warm smiles that I expected, I was met by silence. The quiet lasted for about a second until I heard another boisterous laugh come from Emmett.

"Nice outfit, Bells!" his mouth still half full of cereal and both of his thumbs raised in approval. Through his grin, it was hard to tell if he was being sarcastic or serious.

I looked down at myself and blushed madly. _Note to self: When looking for Alice all around the house for a change in clothes to replace skimpy shorts and tight tank top—make sure NO ONE else is home._

"I, for one, think she looks cute!" Alice crossed both her arms across her chest in defiance and glared at Emmett. She was probably defending her choice of clothing more than she was defending me.

"Good morning, dear. Would you like some breakfast?" I redirected my attention to Esme who was standing in front of the stove; a spatula in hand. I bet she could sense my embarrassment and though a change of topic was in order.

_Bless her. _

"That would be great, thank you." I answered her sincerely. Sitting next to Alice, I made sure not to make eye contact with Emmett. He was most likely still laughing at me. _That sadist._

"Eggs and bacon!" Esme walked over to the counter and placed the plate full of steaming food right in front of me. I breathe in deeply; I loved the smell of breakfast food more than anything else.

"Thanks, Esme!" I grinned like a little kid. Food truly did make me happy.

"Enjoy, dear." She said to me before she made her way to Emmett and slapped his arm that was trying to steal more food from Alice's plate. She gave him a disciplining glare and he sulked down his seat like a defeated puppy.

I practically stabbed my bacon and stuffed it in my mouth, then the eggs, then the bacon again, an alternating pattern. I was extremely hungry, probably because I wasn't able to finish my dinner last night. And whos fault was that again? _Ahh yes…Emmett. _

He was slowly becoming the king of mischief in my book.

"Hungry, are we?" a velvety voice whispered in my ear. It was so close that I felt the cool breath gently graze my skin.

"Uhh…G-good morning, Edward." Stuttering so early in the morning? Speaking today is going to be one hell of a challenge.

He smirked while taking the seat next to me.

My eyes narrowed. That smirked was both arrogant and sexy. I was aggravated with myself for adding the "sexy" part. Why couldn't I just _plainly _insult him? Argh.

His bronze hair was slightly wet, glistening under the florescent lights from the room. Each angle of each strand was utter perfection. He must have just finished taking a shower. Images of Edward in the shower; wet and naked suddenly popped into my head. To say the image was distracting was an understatement.

The scent of his shampoo was absolutely delicious; very manly yet subtle. I leaned a bit toward him and breathed in deeply in what I hoped was undetectable. I could smell both the shampoo and his own natural smell; his own fragrance diluting the manly aroma.

The mix of both was hands down the most heavenly thing I have ever come across with. It was like Prozac for my nose. Forget eggs and bacon and other breakfast foods, _this _was the best smell in the entire world.

My head was in a haze and it was making me dizzy. I had to grip on the counter top with both hands before I fell backwards. With the stool having no back to lean on, there was nothing stopping me from falling onto the concrete floor.

One of the main things that attract me to a guy is definitely their smell. _I mean, seriously, who would want a stinky boyfriend?_

I took another deep breath through my nose, trying to attain more of the addicting drug. And that's when I realized what brand of shampoo he used.

Axe.

No smell wreaked more of sex than Axe.

**Axe**

PLUS

**Edward**

EQUALS...

**_Bom..chicka wah…wah…_**

**_..........................................  
_**

"HOLY…FUCK!" I practically yelled in a strangled voice.

I wanted to take it back but I couldn't. Too little, too late.

"Bella?" Everyone in the room had their eyes on me, confusion and surprise written all over their faces. I noticed Esme was no where in the room. Hopefully, she had left earlier and hadn't heard my little display.

I still hadn't responded. Still in shock of my realization and that I swore for the first time in front of the Cullen siblings.

"Bella, what's wrong?" Alice was now worried. She was by my side with had her hand on my arm. She probably thought something terrible happened to me.

_Oh Alice…if you only knew._

"I—uhh…nothing's wrong. I'm just—err…in need of some new clothes for school. Yes…that's it. School…Alice, would it be too much to ask for you to lend me some?" I gave out an extremely nervous chuckle and looked at Alice in what I hoped was a convincing look.

I was a fool to think she'd believe me.

She had her eyebrows raised in doubt but answered anyway. "…sure, Bella. Follow me."

I bet no one in the room believed my sorry ass excuse of a lie. I couldn't blame them. I was an awful liar.

I let Alice drag me out of the kitchen without looking back. If I looked back, I would see him. And seeing Edward was just something I couldn't handle right now. His _smell _had made me want to swoon and practically melt in my seat, what if he did more?!

The infinite possibilities clouded my mind until I noticed that I was inside Alice's room with a very impatiently little pixie, tapping her tiny feet in front of me. She demanded an explanation but unfortunately, I don't think telling her about how I practically fainted from the _smell _of her brother is what she wanted to hear so early in the morning.

"Alice, I know you're curious on what just happened downstairs but I can't tell you right now. I'm sorry. When the time is right, I promise that you'll be the first to know." I smiled genuinely at her. I really did mean that. If my feelings progressed any further, she _would _be the first to know.

_Wait…feelings? Progressing? I didn't get the mental note that something was even starting let alone progressing._

But I was quickly pulled out of my confused thoughts by Alice sighing audibly. Her demanding demeanour softened into defeat.

"Alright, Bella. But do you promise that I'll be the first to know?" she wanted reassurance.

"I promise. I pinky swear." I held out my pinky finger to seal the deal.

"Pinky promise, Bella?" she giggled. "Isn't that a little 1st grade?"

I sighed.

"Do you want me to promise or not?" I asked a little irritated at her for making fun of me.

"Ok ok. Jeez…" she also held out her pinky finger and we sealed the promise.

I would tell her when my feelings would progress—no wait, IF my feelings would progress. Yes…IF.

* * *

So far, the car ride home was going pretty uneventful.

Alice dressed me in a simple white gauze baby doll tank that flowed freely at the bottom, black leggings that came up to my knees, and black and white ballet flats. I actually really loved the outfit, except maybe for the fact that the shoes had a giant Chanel symbol on each foot. I tried to argue with Alice saying that I didn't like wearing clothes that _screamed _brand names. But she came back with an argument saying she didn't own another pair of black and white flats and wearing pink ones that would clash with the outfit was simply preposterous and insulting to the fashion industry.

She lied. It's impossible for Alice to only own _one _pair of black and white ballet flats. It was just simply impossible. That's like saying Edward didn't look like a Greek God sent to Earth.

_Ok, wait, WHAT?! _Let's backtrack for a minute.

First Axe…now…Chanel?! Was there anything in this world that didn't remind me of that god forsaken man?!

This is just peachy, now for the rest of the day, I'm going to desperately try to avoid looking down at my own feet in fear that the thought of him will start haunting my mind.

I growled. I growled at the thought of him, I growled at Axe, I growled at Chanel and I growled at the fact that the Cullens lived so far away from the school so this car ride is taking forever. And breathing the same oxygen as Edward cannot be healthy for my sanity.

I think my growling not only showed in my face but was also projected in my voice because I felt someone nudge my side lightly. I looked to the side and saw Alice giving me a quizzical stare.

"What's up, Bells?" she asked.

"Nothing. Your Chanel shoes are still bothering me." _Good job, Bella. You actually lied without stuttering!_

Alice just rolled her eyes.

"Oh get over yourself. You look great! Trust me, I'm the queen of fashion." She grinned brightly but still gave me a meaning look.

I couldn't deny that. Alice had a great sense of fashion and I would never doubt her on what would look good. But I did have doubts on what would look good on _me. _

Even though I disliked the shoes, Alice knew I would never be mad at her. Although we just met yesterday; our personalities, though quite different, just clicked. Our difference seemed to draw us to one another, filling in on what the other lacks. She was confident and outspoken, something I desperately needed to be. Though up to now, I'm still now sure how our friendship benefited her. I wasn't sure if I possessed something she would lack in. Alice was perfect, along with the rest of the Cullen and Hales.

"Ok, Alice. I got over myself and I think I look fabulous." I exclaimed with fake enthusiasm.

She just laughed at me and returned to what she was previously doing; fiddling with her cell phone.

I leaned my head back against the head rest of the car and closed my eyes.

And that's when I faint voice in the background start to speak.

**Is it going? Is it going?  
**

**Is it going? Is it going?  
**

**I don't know.. what you're lookin' for**

**Oh yea boss  
**

**Come on**

"Oooo! Emmett! Turn in up! I love this song!" Alice was bouncing excitedly in her seat, begging her older brother to turn up the radio that was currently playing some random song.

"Sorry, Bells." Emmett grinned at me through the rear view mirror and turned up the volume.

I was confused. Why was he saying sorry?

**I'm the type of girl to look you dead in the eye-eye  
**

**I'm real as it come if you don't know why I'm fly-y-y-y  
**

**Seen you tryna switch it up but girl you ain't that dope  
**

**I'm a Wonder Woman, let me go get my rope  
**

**I'm a supermodel and mami, see mami**

Oh.

Hip-hop.

**Amnesty International got Bankok to Mauntok on lock  
**

**Love my ass and my abs in the video of "Promiscuous"  
**

**My style is ri-dic-dic-diculous, 'diculous, 'diculous**

I tried to drown away everything by closing my eyes yet again. But I could hardly accomplish anything close to that because Alice was now dancing; sending a rhythmic movement through the connected backseats and Emmett was tapping against the steering wheel while singing along.

**If you see us in the club, we'll be actin' real nice  
**

**If you see us on the floor, you'll be watchin' all night  
**

**We ain't here to hurt nobody  
**

**(So give it to me, give it to me, give it to me)  
**

**Wanna see you work your body  
**

**(So give it to me, give it to me, give it to me)**

I opened my eyes in a tired frustration.

I chanced a look at the front passenger seat of Emmett's jeep, the car we were currently taking. Edward, who had been quiet since this morning's breakfast rendezvous was looking at me through his passenger side mirror. He had a smirk on his lips.

**When Timbo is in the party, everybody put up they hands  
**

**I get a half a mil' for my beats, you get a couple gra-an-and  
**

**Never gon' see the day that I ain't got the upper hand  
**

**I'm respected from Californ-I-A, all the way down to Japan**

He was laughing at me! Laughing at my misery! Damn him.

**I'm a real producer and you just a piano man  
**

**Your songs don't top the charts, I heard 'em, I'm not a fa-an-an  
**

**Niggas talkin' greasy, I'm the one that gave them they chance  
**

**Somebody need to tell them that they can't do it like I can**

He then ran a hand through his smooth and silky bronze locks, while still looking at me, mouthed out the chorus.

**If you see us in the club, we'll be actin' real nice  
**

**If you see us on the floor, you'll be watchin' all night  
**

**We ain't here to hurt nobody  
**

**(So give it to me, give it to me, give it to me)  
**

**Wanna see you work your body  
**

**(So give it to me, give it to me, give it to me**

I got flashbacks from last night, when he had said that he would _convince _me to like hip hop this lunchtime. Did he even remember saying that? If he did remember…was he actually serious?! _This _lunchtime? As in…today?!

**Could you speak up and stop mu-mumbling, I don't think you came in clear  
**

**When you're sittin' on the top, it's hard to hear you from way up here  
**

**I saw you tryin' to act cute on TV, "Just let me clear the air..."  
**

**We missed you on the charts last week, damn, that's right you wasn't there  
**

**If se-sexy never left, then why's everybody on my shi-it-it**

I was breathing rather hard now. The panic and pressure was getting to me. How exactly would he go about it? How was he planning on doing this? _Oh god, I was stupid to ever accepting his bet. He's going to kill me—I bet without even touching me. _

**Don't hate on me just because you didn't come up with it  
**

**So if you see us in the club, go on and walk the other way  
**

**Cause our run will never be over, not at least until we say**

2 more verses of chorus went on until the song came to a stop. And just as the song ended, we reached the school. I was still in my nervous state that I hadn't noticed that everyone was getting out of the car. I eventually followed, got out and shut the jeep door. I leaned both my hands on the glass window and breathed in slowly. I had to be calm.

Being calm is good. Being calm is good…Being calm is good…Being ca—

"Ready?" It didn't take a genius to figure out whose voice that was. The only voice that could ever make me feel weak on the knees with its steady and sexy tone.

I slowly lifted my head and was met by a pair of deep green eyes. His face shone brightly and his hair sparkling from the sunlight. The school bell rang loudly all around the school; signalling that it was almost time for our first period to begin.

He took my hand in his, tugging me towards the front entrance. His hand was warm but I felt a chill run up my spine at the contact. When we reached the doors, to my great displeasure, he released my hand to open them for me.

Before I walked into the school, I snuck a quick peak at him. I found him looking right back at me. He looked dangerous and confident. A horrible combination, especially since I was his victim.

* * *

I know I know...not the best chapter so far. But I found the Axe thing pretty funny. =) I personally LOVE axe. It smells so damn sexy!

Please Review!!!!!!!! I LOVE REVIEWS!

All the love you could possibly squeeze out of a bottle of hair gel---BudhaBeads.

**BOM CHICKA WAH WAH!**

Sorry...I just HAD to do that! XD


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